Breakaway accessory mounting for vehicles

Abstract

A breakaway accessory mounting assembly for vehicles for supporting rearview mirrors and other accessories includes a base mounted on a vehicle panel surface such as a window, and a coupler engaging the base and having a support mounting the rearview mirror or other accessory. Retaining means such as a wire or stamped metal spring, or a resilient plate extend between the base and coupler and allow installation by slidably receiving the coupler on the base in a lateral direction followed by rotation of the coupler with respect to the base to an installed position about a predetermined first axis without further lateral sliding movement. The retaining means also resiliently hold the base and coupler together in the installed position, and allow release of the coupler from the base in three different separation modes when a predetermined force is imposed on the coupler or supported mirror or other accessory. Positioning means are provided to position the coupler in the installed position on the base.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A breakaway accessory mounting assembly for vehicles for supporting rearview mirrors and other accessories comprising: a base for attachment to a surface of a vehicle panel such as a window;   a coupler engaging said base and including a support for engaging and supporting an accessory such as a rearview mirror, and positioning means for positioning said coupler in an installed position on said base; and   retaining means extending between said base and coupler for slidably receiving said coupler on said base in a lateral direction and allowing rotation of said coupler with respect to said base to said installed position about a predetermined first axis without further lateral sliding movement, for resiliently holding said base and coupler together in said installed position, and for releasing said coupler from said base when a predetermined force is imposed on said coupler.   
     
     
       2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said retaining means include a projection on one of said base and coupler, and a resilient, biasing retainer on the other of said base and coupler, said resilient, biasing retainer including means for slidably receiving and allowing rotation of said projection when said coupler is received on said base. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said resilient, biasing retainer includes a pair of spaced resilient members for engaging opposed sides of said projection; said means for slidably receiving said projection including an opening between said spaced resilient members. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said resilient, biasing retainer is a generally Y-shaped spring member. 
     
     
       5. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said resilient, biasing retainer is a stamped, sheet metal spring clip. 
     
     
       6. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said resilient, biasing retainer is mounted on said base and said projection extends from said coupler. 
     
     
       7. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said projection is a tapered member joined to said one of said base and coupler and having a free end larger than the area at which said projection joins said one of said base and coupler. 
     
     
       8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said one of said base and coupler is elongated in a predetermined direction; said tapered projection member being elliptical in cross section when viewed generally perpendicular to said lateral direction, and having an axis of elongation positioned transverse to said predetermined direction of said one of said base and coupler. 
     
     
       9. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said other of said base and coupler includes a recess in which said resilient, biasing retainer is mounted; said recess including an opening aligned with said opening between said spaced resilient members to allow said projection to be slidably received therebetween. 
     
     
       10. The assembly of claim 2 including a stop means for limiting sliding movement between said base and coupler and defining the position at which said coupler is rotated to said installed position with respect to said base. 
     
     
       11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said resilient, biasing retainer is on said base; said stop means being an abutment surface on one of said resilient, biasing retainer and said base; said projection being on said coupler and adapted to engage said abutment surface prior to rotation to said installed position. 
     
     
       12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said abutment surface is on said base. 
     
     
       13. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said abutment surface is on said resilient, biasing retainer. 
     
     
       14. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said one of said base and coupler is said coupler and other of said base and coupler is said base; said base including a recess in which said resilient, biasing retainer is mounted, an exposed surface for slidably engaging said coupler, and a mounting surface for attaching said base to the vehicle panel surface; said coupler including said projection extending outwardly from a slide surface, said slide surface adapted to slidably engage said exposed surface of said base; said projection being received within said base recess when received by said resilient, biasing retainer. 
     
     
       15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein said positioning means includes at least one locating recess in said exposed surface of said base, and a locating projection on said slide surface of said coupler, said locating projection adapted to mate with and be received in said locating recess when said coupler is in said installed position on said base. 
     
     
       16. The assembly of claim 15 including four of said locating recesses in said exposed base surface; said coupler including three of said locator projections on said slide surface; one of said locating projections adapted to engage two of said locating recesses. 
     
     
       17. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said predetermined first axis is generally perpendicular to said lateral direction. 
     
     
       18. The assembly of claim 1 including a stop means for limiting sliding movement between said base and coupler and defining the position at which said coupler is rotated to said installed position with respect to said base. 
     
     
       19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein said retaining means includes a resilient, biasing retainer and at least one projection on one of said base and coupler, and receiving means on the other of said base and coupler for slidably receiving said resilient, biasing retainer and projection, said projection adapted to move said resilient, biasing retainer between a first position in which said resilient, biasing retainer is slidably and loosely engageable with said receiving means, and a second position in which said resilient, biasing retainer is tightly engaged with said receiving means. 
     
     
       20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein said resilient, biasing retainer and projection are on said coupler; said receiving means being on said base and including an abutment for stopping slidable movement of said resilient, biasing retainer with respect to said receiving means. 
     
     
       21. The assembly of claim 20 wherein said coupler includes means for rotatably mounting said resilient, biasing retainer on a second axis; said projection being spaced from said second axis; said resilient, biasing retainer including an aperture for receiving said projection in said second position of said resilient, biasing retainer in which said coupler is in said installed position. 
     
     
       22. The assembly of claim 21 wherein said resilient, biasing retainer is a plate formed from resilient material and having outwardly flared, resilient flanges adapted to flex to release said coupler from said base upon impact; said receiving means including a pair of spaced, rigid, inturned flanges engaging said resilient, outwardly flared flanges on said plate; said coupler being rotatable with respect to said plate on said second axis such that said projection moves said plate from said first to said second position whereby said outwardly flared, resilient flanges are moved from a position loosely engaging said rigid flanges to a position tightly engaging said rigid flanges to releasably hold said coupler on said base; said second axis corresponding to said first axis when said abutment engages said resilient, biasing retainer. 
     
     
       23. The assembly of claim 22 wherein said base includes a recess defining said rigid, inturned flanges and said abutment; said coupler including a pair of said projections spaced on either side of a pin defining said second axis and on which said resilient plate is mounted; said plate including a pair of spaced apertures, each aperture adapted to receive one of said projections when said coupler is rotated to said installed position after said plate is slidably received in said base recess and engaged with said abutment. 
     
     
       24. A breakaway accessory mounting assembly for vehicles for supporting rearview mirrors and other accessories comprising: a base adapted for attachment to a surface of a vehicle panel such as a window;   a coupler engaging said base, being rotatable between a temporary and-installed positions, and including a support for engaging and supporting an accessory such as a rearview mirror, a retaining member, and at least one positioning member for positioning said coupler in said installed position on said base; and   a resilient, biasing retainer on said base, said biasing retainer being movable between at least a relaxed, a first biased, and a second biased position and having an opening for slidably receiving said coupler retaining member and adapted to release said coupler from said base in at least one of several directions upon receipt of a predetermined force on said coupler, said biasing retainer slidably receiving said retaining member in said relaxed position and allowing movement of said retaining member to position said coupler in said temporary position with said biasing retainer in said first biased position, said biasing retainer being movable to said second biased position when said coupler is rotated to said installed position whereby said base and coupler are urged together by said biasing retainer until a predetermined force is imposed on said coupler such that said coupler is released from said base.   
     
     
       25. The assembly of claim 24 wherein said resilient, biasing retainer includes a pair of spaced resilient members for engaging opposed sides of said retaining member. 
     
     
       26. The assembly of claim 25 wherein said resilient, biasing retainer is a generally Y-shaped spring member. 
     
     
       27. The assembly of claim 25 wherein said resilient, biasing retainer is a stamped, sheet metal spring clip. 
     
     
       28. The assembly of claim 25 wherein said retaining member is a tapered projection joined to said coupler and having a free end larger than the area at which said projection joins said coupler, said tapered projection being elongated and adapted to flex said spaced resilient member as said coupler is rotated to said installed position. 
     
     
       29. The assembly of claim 24 wherein said base includes a recess in which said resilient, biasing retainer is mounted, an exposed surface for slidably engaging said coupler, and a mounting surface for attaching said base to the vehicle panel surface; said coupler retaining member being a projection; said coupler including said projection extending outwardly from a slide surface, said slide surface adapted to slidably engage said exposed surface of said base; said projection being received within said base recess when received by said resilient, biasing retainer. 
     
     
       30. The assembly of claim 29 wherein said positioning means includes at least one locating recess in said exposed surface of said base, and a locating projection on said slide surface of said coupler, said locating projection adapted to mate with and be received in said locating recess when said coupler is in said installed position on said base. 
     
     
       31. The assembly of claim 29 wherein said base includes an opening aligned with said opening between said spaced resilient members to allow said projection to be slidably received therebetween. 
     
     
       32. The assembly of claim 24 including a stop means for limiting sliding movement between said base and coupler and defining the position at which said coupler is rotated to said installed position with respect to said base. 
     
     
       33. The assembly of claim 24 wherein said positioning means includes at least one locating recess in a surface of said base, and a locating projection on a mating surface of said coupler, said locating projection adapted to mate with and be received in said locating recess when said coupler is in said installed position on said base. 
     
     
       34. The assembly of claim 24 wherein said coupler is rotatable on a predetermined axis which is generally perpendicular to a lateral direction in which said coupler is slidably received on said base. 
     
     
       35. A breakaway accessory mounting assembly for vehicles for supporting rearview mirrors and other accessories comprising: a base for attachment to a surface of a vehicle panel such as a window;   a coupler engaging said base and including a support for engaging and supporting an accessory such as a rearview mirror, and positioning means for positioning said coupler in an installed position on said base;   said base and coupler being rotatable with respect to one another on a first axis between temporary and installed positions;   a resilient, biasing retainer and at least one projection on one of said base and coupler, and receiving means on the other of said base and coupler for slidably receiving said resilient, biasing retainer and projection, said projection adapted to move said resilient, biasing retainer between a first position in which said resilient, biasing retainer is slidably and loosely engageable with said receiving means in said temporary position, and a second position in which said resilient, biasing retainer is tightly engaged with said receiving means in said installed position; said coupler being releasable from said base upon impact such that said resilient, biasing retainer releases from said receiving means in said installed position.   
     
     
       36. The assembly of claim 35 wherein said resilient, biasing retainer and projection are on said coupler; said receiving means being on said base and including an abutment for stopping slidable movement of said resilient, biasing retainer with respect to said receiving means. 
     
     
       37. The assembly of claim 36 wherein said coupler includes means for rotatably mounting said resilient, biasing retainer on a second axis; said projection spaced from said second axis; said resilient, biasing retainer including an aperture for receiving said projection in said second position of said resilient, biasing retainer in which said coupler is in said installed position. 
     
     
       38. The assembly of claim 37 wherein said resilient, biasing retainer is a plate formed from resilient material and having outwardly flared, resilient flanges adapted to flex to release said coupler from said base upon impact; said receiving means including a pair of spaced, rigid, inturned flanges engaging said resilient, outwardly flared flanges on said plate; said coupler being rotatable with respect to said plate on said second axis such that said projection moves said plate from said first to said second position whereby said outwardly flared, resilient flanges are moved from a position loosely engaging said rigid flanges to a position tightly engaging said rigid flanges to releasably hold said coupler on said base; said second axis corresponding to said first axis when said abutment engages said resilient, biasing retainer. 
     
     
       39. The assembly of claim 38 wherein said base includes a recess defining said rigid, inturned flanges and said abutment; said coupler including a pair of said projections spaced on either side of a pin defining said second axis and on which said resilient plate is mounted; said plate including a pair of spaced apertures, each aperture adapted to receive one of said projections when said coupler is rotated to said installed position after said plate is slidably received in said base recess and engaged with said abutment. 
     
     
       40. A method for installing an accessory mounting assembly, on a panel in a vehicle, the assembly having a base, a coupler for mounting on the base and supporting an accessory, and a resilient retainer for holding the base and coupler together until a predetermined force is imposed on the coupler to release the coupler from the base, said method comprising: affixing the base to a panel surface;   sliding the coupler on a surface of the base in a lateral direction to a first, temporary position; and   rotating the coupler with respect to the base into a second, installed position on an axis extending through said first, temporary position without further sliding movement in the lateral direction while a portion of the coupler engages the resilient retainer and the resilient retainer urges the coupler and base together.   
     
     
       41. The method of claim 40 including sliding the coupler on the base until a projection on one of the base and coupler engages an abutment on the other of the base and coupler when the coupler is in said first, temporary position. 
     
     
       42. The method of claim 41 including engaging a locating projection on one of the base and coupler with a locating recess on the other of the base and coupler to position the coupler in said second, installed position. 
     
     
       43. The method of claim 41 including engaging the projection with the resilient retainer to bend the resilient retainer and urge the base and coupler together. 
     
     
       44. The method of claim 43 wherein the projection is on the coupler, said method including rotating the projection with the coupler while the projection contacts the resilient retainer as said coupler is moved from said first, temporary position to said second, installed position. 
     
     
       45. The method of claim 41 including disengaging the projection from the resilient retainer to release the resilient retainer from a bent position and thereby urge the base and coupler together. 
     
     
       46. The method of claim 45 including rotating the projection into an aperture in the resilient retainer to release the retainer. 
     
     
       47. The method of claim 41 wherein said projection on one of said base and coupler is elongated in one dimension, said rotating said coupler including flexing said resilient retainer with said projection as said elongated dimension is rotated.